Make no mistake, Eric Florchuk is thrilled to be reunited with Kirby Dach.

When the Saskatoon Blades acquired Florchuk from the Victoria Royals, Florchuk was reunited with his longtime Fort Saskatchewan minor hockey linemate and best friend, Dach.

The two of them spent all of their minor hockey and spring hockey days together. They were almost always on the same line, too, year-in and year-out.

This hockey reunion has resulted in instant chemistry on the Blades.

“You definitely see it,” says Blades head coach Dean Brockman, whose team plays host to the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night (7:05 p.m.) at SaskTel Centre. “They definitely look for each other on the ice. They definitely seem to know where the other guy is going.”

Since arriving in Saskatoon, Florchuk has three goals and four assists for seven points in seven games.

“He’s a big guy,” Brockman says of Florchuk, adding that he didn’t know a lot about Florchuk before the Blades got him.

“He’s got a powerful stride. He has scored some goals for us. He definitely makes some plays around him. He has great awareness. Probably, as he gets more and more comfortable, he’ll put up more numbers.”

Florchuk had seven goals and 21 assists for 28 points in 43 games this season with Victoria prior to being traded.

“Moving here is probably going to be a big part for me moving forward, especially with Kirby here after playing with him throughout all my minor hockey years,” says Florchuk, a 6-foot-1, 173-pound winger who was taken in the first round, 13th overall, by Victoria in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.

“Getting back together, I’m really looking forward to it for the years to come. (Saskatoon) was one place that the organization really wanted me. Both of us complement each other a lot on the ice. We just seem to know where each one is at all times. We just find each other, wherever and whenever. We just seem to click every day.”

Dach has four goals and 23 assists for 27 points in 33 games this season. He is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury and doubtful for Wednesday’s game.

“It was pretty exciting when he (Florchuk) came here,” admits Dach, who has grown to nearly 6-foot-4 and 181 pounds since being drafted by the Blades in the first round, second overall, in 2016.

“We’ve been pretty much best friends for a while now. It’s good to have a familiar face and we talk about the chemistry we’ve had growing up throughout minor hockey. We played together always on the same line, same team. It’s always good to develop that chemistry early. It’s built through friendship. We have a very good friendship off the ice, as well. It helps us be comfortable with each other on the ice.

“I hope it’s going to pay off in the long run.”

Florchuk and Dach were teammates in Fort Saskatchewan all the way to the midget ranks, where Dach played as a 14-year-old under-ager. The duo also played spring hockey with NAS Capitals NAA Kodiaks.

“He’s very fast and he sees the ice well,” Dach says of Florchuk, who recently played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Guelph, Ont., and is rated No. 93 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings. “We’re kind of like brothers, almost. We know where each other is going to be on the ice. We can use that to our advantage against teams.”

Florchuk scored two goals, including the game-winner, in his Saskatoon debut with the Blades back on Jan. 20 against the Regina Pats.

“Obviously they played well enough to stay together and we’ll just see where it goes,” says Brockman.

“He (Florchuk) made some good plays going to the net. He went to the net with his stick down like everybody should tell you and Kirby made some good plays to get it to him.”

That game against Regina was Florchuk’s first game back together with Dach.

“It was pretty good to get that one out of the way, especially the first home game,” Florchuk admits, adding that he is now — three weeks after the trade — settling in with his new Blades team.

Having Dach and Chase Wouters — who played U16 Alberta and U17 Team Canada with Florchuk — has helped ease the transition.

“It’s probably a good fit for me coming here,” explains Forchuk. “Having Kirby and Chase here has helped me kind of come together quickly with everyone. Everyone’s great here.”

Florchuk has also played against Wouters in minor hockey.

“I prefer having him on my team,” Florchuk says, “than playing against him.”

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